Step stands and step stools might not fit well in a Disney movie, where step parents, step siblings — heck, step anything—tend to be evil. But, in the real world, step-stuff can be good. When you need to change a kitchen light bulb and don’t want to stand on the wobbly table on which your family eats, step stands can be pretty, um, upstanding. And when you need to grab products from high shelves and don’t have the vertical range of LeBron James, step stools can be pretty, um, uplifting.
Step stools and their big brothers, step stands, can elevate your spirits. However, step stands can elevate your spirits about two to four feet higher.
Step stand vs. step stool
These two types of work platform are closely related, and could easily be confused with step ladders, too. How do you know which one will work in your industrial setting?
I call a step ladder the decrepit rectangular wooden thing leaning against the wall in my garage, which is totally unsafe but which I still stand on to prune huge bushes and short trees, power wash my house, and spy on my neighbors.
The ladders also have the oft-ignored warning printed upon their top steps (officially called “pail shelves”) which say “Please do not use this as a step.”
The similarities
They both differ from the ladders in that their top step, called a “top cap,” is made to be stood on. They each serve as platforms that can be either stationary or rolling, meaning mounted on wheels, or casters, that are easily locked and unlocked.
Here are a few other common traits:
- Can be used indoors and outdoors.
- Legs have a non-skid, slip-resistant surface, such as rubber, to ensure stability.
- Most stands and stools for industrial and commercial use are made from lightweight aluminum or sturdy, heavy-duty steel. Fiberglass is another option. Many consumer brands are made of plastic.
The differences
You might think of the step stool as the step stand’s little brother. The stand can have up to four steps, but may not be more than 32 inches in height. They are measured from the bottom of one of its feet to the top of its highest step.
Its side rails, or handrails, usually extend above the top step. Stands fold up for easy storage. A step stand would be perfect for a small, crowded storage room situation in which no one has a good view of the top shelf, nor can reach it, even though both copier paper and toilet paper are stored there, which means that employees need to get to those top shelves every couple of days. A folding stand can be opened and closed in seconds. And if you need paper, a few seconds can matter a lot. They generally are built with the same A-frame structure as ladders.
The stools also share these traits:
- Shorter than stands.
- Have only one or two steps.
- Can be easily tucked away, though they don’t have folding capacity.
- Are often used in commercial and industrial settings by workers who need another foot or so in height several times a day to get a better view and reach.
The step stool safety standards
While I may not be as safety conscious as a warehouse owner, I know OSHA has many regulations on this subject.
I can’t begin to explain all of ANSI’s or OSHA’s safety standards, but I would never want those agencies to visit my garage. Let me quote one regulation to underscore how detailed OSHA’s standards are: “Rungs, cleats, and steps of step stools shall be not less than 8 inches apart, nor more than 12 inches apart, as measured between center lines of the rungs, cleats, and steps.”
There is no need, however, to go to a hardware store with ruler in hand. It’s better to find an experienced and trusted professional, like Tri-Arc.
Tri-Arc step stands and step stools
Tri-Arc has been providing ladders, work platforms, step stands and step stools for more than 90 years. The company manufactures every one of its products at its Pittsburgh site after a customer orders them.
Its representatives can help you buy the perfect stand or stool for your needs. And it will be made of the perfect material with the optimal number of stairs and safest step tread.
Tri-Arc offers three basic design concepts for stands and stools, and each design contains many variations.
The rolling steel step stands, for example, are portable and foldable. They can have a 400 lb. rated capacity; non-slip, perforated tread; tubular steel construction; and a powder-coated finish. Their step width is 16 inches, and the platforms are 20 inches to 40 inches in height.
The light-weight aluminum stools have a 350 lb. capacity and built-in casters.
The stools offer a similar variety of options, including treads that are anti-slip, perforated, serrated or ribbed. They look like industrial footstools and come with a step height of 12 inches and in 12- or 16-inch widths, or an extra-wide 24 inches.
Taking a step up with Tri-Arc
The right heavy duty step stool or portable rolling step stand could help boost the safety and efficiency of your workplace. And talk about stability. Tri-Arc calls one of the tread options grip strut. (Sounds tough, doesn’t it? I may name my next son Grip Strut.)
Mr. Spock advised people to “live long and prosper.” Tri-Arc, with its attention to detail, safety, and the needs of its customers, feels the same way.